Feedback: Men Upset Over Losing Job At Fort Drum

At least two people who worked for a contractor at Fort Drum say they were lied to about the job and weren’t paid for their work.

Brad Nourse and Steve Belden say their problem is with METS, which stands for M&E Technical Services, of Lexington, Kentucky.

Both men say METS promised them a job that would last six months and would pay almost $20 per hour.

“I was excited to make some good money and try to get myself on my feet and be able to take care of myself and my home. I was ecstatic and I was going to do everything I could to learn the job,” said Nourse.

Nourse says he was fired after a week.

Belden, who claims he spent $1,000 on new tools for the job, says he was let go after three weeks.

“I felt used. I really think they just came in, grabbed some local people, used us for three weeks and we’re gone now,” said Belden.

Both men say they haven’t been paid.

7 News made a number of phone calls to METS officials. Our calls had not been returned.

According to Fort Drum spokesperson Julie Cupernall, the contract with METS was not awarded through Fort Drum.

She said the contract was with the Army Sustainment Command Field Logistics Readiness Division at Fort McPherson, Georgia.

METS was hired to install “up-armor kits” on cargo transport vehicles for the Third Brigade Combat Team, which will be deploying to Afghanistan, Cupernall said.

She said the contract was supposed to last from September 18 through October 25 and that the employees saw the contract through its completion.

Cupernall said most of the 220 skilled laborers on the job were brought in from out of state and that 18 employees were from the local area.

She said the local workers were the last to leave the job because they didn’t have the housing expenses that the out-of-state employees had.

7 News contacted the office of north country Congressman John McHugh (R. - 23rd District); staff members said they received no reports of problems about the project.

See Jeff Nelson’s report:

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